Prayer for Congo: Dear God restore the Congolese and save them from further suffering. Neighboring governments and rebel groups disregard the Congolese government. Congolese flee in shame. Mothers and children cry out for food and water. Come and save the Congolese while the international community debate the proper response. AMEN.

November 10, 2008

Have you ever wondered how 5.4 million people could have died in Congo?

There have been about 90 reported cases of cholera to dated. There are probably more cases that aid workers have not be able to document. There have probably been some unrecorded deaths, too.

When you have over 250,000 people displaced. Only part of that number are actually in a refugee camp out of sight of the warring rebels groups and aid workers. So 90 cases could just be the tip of the iceberg. Is the beginning of a full-blown epidemic?

Al Jazeera's Mohammed Adow, reporting from the Kibati refugee camp, 10km north from Goma, said there had been up to 50 cases of cholera at the crowded camp alone.

There were about 90 known cases across camps in the region, but the movement of people displaced by the fighting was raising concerns that the localised outbreaks could develop into a full-blown epidemic, our correspondent said.

Megan Hunter, who works for Medicins Sans Frontieres, said "everyone of the 50,000 people in this camp is at risk".

And Dr Claire-Lise Chaigot of the World Health Organisation warned that "all the ingredients are there" for a cholera epidemic.

"We have a serious risk of having a big cholera epidemic in this part of the world ... We have a population that is on the move, an unstable security situation and a population that does not have access to safe water and proper sanitation," she told Al Jazeera from Geneva.

November 09, 2008

Since the start of Africa's First World War in August 1998, an estimated 5.4 million Congolese have died from preventable and treatable diseases. The majority of these deaths were women and children under the age of five. And more than 90 percent of the deaths were from non-violent means.

Can Africans lead Africa to prosperity? During the Belgium's rule (excluding King Leopold's rule), how many Congolese died?

I believe the standard of living for most Congolese was better during colonialism. But that excludes the price of human rights abuses and denials inflicted by the oppressors.

Today, international leaders in both Africa, Europe, and the United States are urging the leaders of Congo and Rwanda to negotiate an end to the fighting in eastern Congo. If a peaceful solution is not found, the fighting in Congo may erupt into Africa's Second World War.

Decrying a return to fighting on Sunday, Nov. 9, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, German President Horst Koehler urged all African nations to put an end to their disputes.

"This must have an end," said Koehler, speaking at the German-sponsored fourth Africa Forum in the Nigerian capital of Abuja on Saturday. He said the news from DR Congo was "particularly disappointing."

As the forum met, the leaders of DR Congo and Rwanda were at a meeting in Kenya to try to negotiate an end to the fighting in eastern DR Congo.

Koehler noted that civilians bore the brunt of the impact of Africa's battles. Speaking from prepared comments, he said a self- aware Africa with equal rights for all must live up to its responsibility to guarantee "security and peace on its own continent."

He called on African leaders to pursue more transparent politics and to ensure that the profits from raw material mining benefited the entire population. At the same time, he urged European leaders to seek international trade mechanisms that factor in the needs of Africa.

That would include an "international raw materials strategy, that gives all exporters of raw materials a fair chance to participate in the market," the former IMF head said.

October 13, 2008

As a backdrop to the current financial crisis, humanitarian agencies (governmental and non-governmental organizations) will be face budgetary problems.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) provides humanitarian aid to thousands of displaced persons each year. Unfortunately, they do not support the thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in eastern Congo. A refugee is defined as a person forced to flee his country.

The UNHCR budget is $1.8 billion. The US economic bale-out was $700 billion. But the US spends $9 billion a month in Iraq.

The UNHCR has just wrapped up its annual refugee conference. The agency presented a $1.8 billion budget for 2009 to its members. And, it is concerned that all of its needs may not be met because of the global financial crisis. U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres said he already sees concerns mounting in many countries about the deteriorating economic conditions. "My appeal is that this would not undermine the support to humanitarian action around the world. We are speaking of peanuts, if we compare humanitarian needs with, for instance, financial rescue packages. And, if those peanuts would be reduced, we would then face dramatic consequences."

The United States Congress recently passed a $700 billion rescue package. Other countries around the world are bailing out banks and other financial institutions. Humanitarian agencies say they are afraid governments will economize by cutting funding for the poor.

October 05, 2008

Just when you thought it was getting better, peace in eastern Congo and potentially all of Congo is fading. Rebel General Nkunda says he will expand his operations.

If this happens, the Congo will become more unstable. And the people will continue to suffer and development activities will be curtailed. As a result, extreme poverty conditions will continue to kill!

The Congolese government must disarm and neutralize these rebel groups operating in eastern Congo.

Renegade Congolese General Laurent Nkunda has told the BBC he is now fighting to "liberate" the whole of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Until now, he had always claimed to be protecting his Tutsi people against Rwandan Hutu armed groups in the east.

July 25, 2008

Kinshasa - Officials say a motorised boat has sunk in the Democratic Republic of Congo, killing at least 47 people. Some 100 people were missing.

The boat went down on Tuesday after it left the DRC town of Mobayi Bongo. It was headed for the Central African Republic. Because of the state of roads, many people preferred to take the small boats even if they did not know how to swim.

July 09, 2008

How do we get the International Violence Against Women's Act of 2007 (S.2279) passed? How do we get the other 78 or so senators to cosponsor?

The United States should do what it can to end the violence against women and girls. We need to encourage our senators and representatives to consponsor the International Violence Against Women's Act of 2007, Senate 2279 and House 5927, respectively.

One in three women worldwide will experience gender-based violence in her lifetime. In some countries, that’s true for 70 percent of women. No country is immune. From the trafficking of women in Eastern Europe, to “honor” killings in the Middle East, to the use of rape as a weapon of war in Darfur and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, violence against women and girls crosses all borders and affects women in all social groups, religions and socio-economic classes.

Violence against women and girls violates their basic human rights. It prevents girls from going to school, stops women from holding jobs, and limits access to critical healthcare for women and their children.

For humanitarian reasons alone, the United States should do what it can to end this scourge. But equally important, it has a profound impact on the health and development of countries worldwide. Stopping gender-based violence isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s also smart diplomacy. Violence contributes to the poverty, inequality and instability that threaten our security and our broad national interests.

The good news is that local organizations are working in communities around the world with courage and sensitivity to help women overcome violence at home, in school and at work. Governments are bringing together all sectors of their countries to try to prevent and end abuse. But they need our help.

July 08, 2008

It did not take me long to realize that a transportation system is crucial for the development of Congo. Without transportation, Congo will remain in poverty.

So the question is in a country which has virtually NO PAVED roads or highways, where do you start? Well, the World Bank and the United Kingdom has decided to start in three of eight provinces. I would say those areas map to the mineral rich areas.

Why not start on a trans-Congo highway? Maybe, the other neighboring countries would respond and build a trans-African highway.

A trans-Congo highway would do more than just promote national commerce.

The aid will be spread over a five-year period and will be used to restore 1,800 kilometres (1,120 miles) of roads in three provinces: South Kivu, Katanga and Orientale.

"Opening up these regions will help reduce poverty by allowing three million Congolese access to markets and essential services such as schools and hospitals, which are currently inaccessible," British ambassador Nick Kay said during the signing ceremony.

July 07, 2008

Can I believe that Mr. Mugabe had the audacity to attend the G8 meeting? Mugabe is marching by the directions different drummer major.

Canada, the US, the European Union and other western governments have instituted a travel ban on senior Zimbabwean officials. It will be interesting to see what the other African leaders do in responsible. South African President Mbeki is trying to negotiate a power-sharing agreement in Zimbabwe.

As expected, the G8 leaders did not hide their distaste for Mr. Mugabe, who was re-elected on June 27 after opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew from the race, saying his supporters had been intimidated by government thugs.

"The message is that ... the Mugabe regime is an illegitimate regime and that it should be ended," said the Canadian official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.

"The role of the Africans, since it's in their region, is to take whatever steps are needed to remove Mr. Mugabe from power, and this is up to them to do it."

The G8 leaders threatened further sanctions against Zimbabwe unless action is taken soon, the official added. They also warned that Zimbabwe's conduct could hurt Africa's image around the world and have an effect on its economic and social development.

July 02, 2008

The rising cost of food will affect the Congo. Since they are a net importer of food. The large urban areas will be particularly hard hit. Smaller and regional cities may be less affected due to their proximity to rural farms.

The rural farming villages should be less affected negatively by the rising cost of food. For example, most of the food consumed in our village of Bulape is locally grown or raised. The only exception is for the visiting Americans who want rice instead of cassava. Rural farmers should be able to make a better living due to the rising cost of food.

Fuel prices will have a small impact on villagers, too. Unfortunately, everybody still uses wood for cooking. And there is no motor-driven transportation in the villages. However, the cost of fuel will keep more people in the dark. Many generators will be silented by higher fuel cost.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said the international community should help poor countries whose trade deficits were increasing with the cost of imported commodities.

IMF researchers identified more than a dozen countries that were likely to need external support. They included Benin, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Liberia, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Rising food prices were forecast to have a more harmful effect on standards of living in developing countries than rising fuel prices, the fund said. In large emerging countries, households typically spend more than a quarter of their income on food, while spending less than 10% on fuel. In many African countries, households devoted more than half their income to food, the fund said.

PRAYER:

Dear Heavenly Father, rising food prices will bring dead and suffering for many but let the rural farmers rise up to feed their country. AMEN.